1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in containers generally characterized as crates, totes, bins, or baskets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Molded crates or tote bins as they are frequently called, usually have a greater utility life than those made of wood. Although more expensive than wood, when used on a closed shipping circuit which allows a considerable measure of reuse, advantage may be taken of the material durability.
Open top containers of this type have found utility in a myriad of industries and activities such as agriculture and manufacturing.
In addition to material toughness and durability, desirable design characteristics of such utility crates include empty nesting capacity, protection of the crate contents from vertical stacking loads and the ability to interlock a multiplicity of such crates in adjacent, vertical stacks on a typical wood shipping pallet for transport stability by floor jacks and forklift vehicles.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to teach the construction of an integral, vacuum molded poller container having group interlocking appliances. Another object of the present invention is to teach a polymer crate design that can be selectively nested when empty and column loaded when full without imposing stacking loads on the crate contents.
Another object of the invention is to teach the construction of a one-piece stacking/nesting polymer crate of integral molded construction having no accessory or external components. Another object of the present invention is to each the construction of a one piece molded polymer crate that can be interlocked with identical adjacent crates in the same stacking tier.